Persecution in Guatemala: a special prosecutor wants to investigate an opposition candidate because he denounced a judge

The Guatemalan prosecutor’s office on Monday requested the lifting of the presidential candidate’s immunity Edmond Mullet for alleged conspiracy to obstruct justice for having demanded that a judge who had ordered investigations against nine journalists be investigated.

The request came days after the start of the campaign to elect a president in Guatemala.

Raphael Curruchichehead of the office of the special prosecutor against impunity and sanctioned by the government of the United States for undermine democracy in Guatemala and hinder the fight against corruptionasked the Supreme Court of Justice to strip Mulet of the immunity he enjoys to be registered as a presidential candidate.

Curruchiche intends to investigate Mulet for having requested the investigation of Judge Jimi Bremer, who ordered, at the request of a prosecutor questioned, to investigate nine journalists and columnists for The newspaper who has published on complaints and sanctions against officials of the judiciary.

Prosecutor Cinthia Monterroso is being exposed for abusing her position by requesting forensic information from people she was not investigating and for allegedly maliciously delaying criminal investigations.

Mulet, candidate of the Cabal party and who according to certain measures would be between third and fourth place in the electoral preference, declared in a press conference that he had requested an investigation “Why are journalists being harassed from the prosecution itself?”

“We will see if this request made by the Public Ministry is totally inappropriate, totally crazy, we will see if the CSJ (Supreme Court of Justice) admits it or not and we will continue in this process of combating corruption”, declared the candidate.

Mulet is the only candidate, out of more than 15 registered, to have initiated criminal proceedings to defend the journalists whom the prosecution intends to investigate.

In case of The newspaper It has transcended the international scene and dozens of journalists’ protection organizations have called for an end to the criminalization of media workers that began with the president of this media, Jose Ruben Zamorawho has been detained for almost eight months for allegedly laundering money following blackmail.

Guatemalans plan to go to the polls June 25 to elect the president, vice president, municipal mayors, deputies to Congress, and deputies to the Central American Parliament for the next four years beginning in 2024.

(With AP information)

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